Infections produced by feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV), two of the most prevalent pathogens in cats, range from passing unnoticed to presenting a wide variety of clinical signs. Di...Infections produced by feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV), two of the most prevalent pathogens in cats, range from passing unnoticed to presenting a wide variety of clinical signs. Different epidemiological, clinical, hematological and virological parameters were analyzed in 78 FIV- and/or FeLV-infected cats. FeLV-infected (FeLV+) cats were considerably younger than FIV-infected (FIV+) cats, and in general were seen to have a more severe disease than FIV+ cats. Around one third of the cats presented anemia, and neutropenia was also frequently observed. Though a higher percentage of FIV+ than FeLV+ cats had altered leukocyte counts, FeLV+ cats had altered counts of both neutrophils and lymphocytes more frequently than FIV+, which usually presented only either altered neutrophils or lymphocyte counts. Virological markers were only detected in FeLV+cats, either as mono- or dual-infection, and correlated with the severity of the disease, but not in FIV+ cats. In conclusion, these results suggest that FeLV affects more blood cell types and provokes death of affected animals at a much earlier age than FIV and that the severity of the disease seemed to depend on the viral status of the cat.展开更多
The feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is a complex disease that affects mainly the immune and hematological systems of cats. And because the thymus was closely associated with the immune system, the aim of this study was t...The feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is a complex disease that affects mainly the immune and hematological systems of cats. And because the thymus was closely associated with the immune system, the aim of this study was to quantify the morphological changes in the thymus of naturally infected and uninfected animals. Thymus morphological changes were evaluated by quantifying the following parameters: thymocytes, fat tissue, thymic corpuscles, connective tissue, and type I and III collagen. This study analyzed a total of seven cats, five in the negative group (Fn) and two in the positive (Fp) group. The areas occupied by thymocytes in FeLV negative (Fn) and positive (Fp) animals were, respectively, 55.16% ± 6.15% and 44.81% ± 6.15% (p = 0.39);adipocytes, 42.14% ± 5.97% (Fn) and 53.42% ± 11.3% (Fp) (p = 0.34);blood vessels, 0.85% ± 0.24% (Fn) and 1.75% ± 0.52% (Fp) (p = 0.15). Whereas thymic corpuscles occupied an area of 0.68% ± 0.19% in negative animals (Fn) only. The connective tissue covered area varied between 12.05% ± 0.68% (Fn) and 10.34% ± 0.62% (Fp) (p = 0.009). Collagen type I (p = 0.30) and type III (p = 0.59) were present in, respectively, 1.73% ± 0.3% and 0.44% ± 0.09% in Fn, and 1.44% ± 0.36 and 0.44% ± 0.13% in Fp. The FeLV virus was not able to completely modify the thymus structure of infected animals, considering the areas occupied by thymocytes, adipose tissue, blood vessels and also type I and III collagens. However, the connective tissue underwent a certain degree of remodeling since less connective tissue area was observed in FeLV infected animals. The absence of thymic corpuscles in immunosuppressed animals suggests a possible connection to thymopoiesis.展开更多
文摘Infections produced by feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV), two of the most prevalent pathogens in cats, range from passing unnoticed to presenting a wide variety of clinical signs. Different epidemiological, clinical, hematological and virological parameters were analyzed in 78 FIV- and/or FeLV-infected cats. FeLV-infected (FeLV+) cats were considerably younger than FIV-infected (FIV+) cats, and in general were seen to have a more severe disease than FIV+ cats. Around one third of the cats presented anemia, and neutropenia was also frequently observed. Though a higher percentage of FIV+ than FeLV+ cats had altered leukocyte counts, FeLV+ cats had altered counts of both neutrophils and lymphocytes more frequently than FIV+, which usually presented only either altered neutrophils or lymphocyte counts. Virological markers were only detected in FeLV+cats, either as mono- or dual-infection, and correlated with the severity of the disease, but not in FIV+ cats. In conclusion, these results suggest that FeLV affects more blood cell types and provokes death of affected animals at a much earlier age than FIV and that the severity of the disease seemed to depend on the viral status of the cat.
文摘The feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is a complex disease that affects mainly the immune and hematological systems of cats. And because the thymus was closely associated with the immune system, the aim of this study was to quantify the morphological changes in the thymus of naturally infected and uninfected animals. Thymus morphological changes were evaluated by quantifying the following parameters: thymocytes, fat tissue, thymic corpuscles, connective tissue, and type I and III collagen. This study analyzed a total of seven cats, five in the negative group (Fn) and two in the positive (Fp) group. The areas occupied by thymocytes in FeLV negative (Fn) and positive (Fp) animals were, respectively, 55.16% ± 6.15% and 44.81% ± 6.15% (p = 0.39);adipocytes, 42.14% ± 5.97% (Fn) and 53.42% ± 11.3% (Fp) (p = 0.34);blood vessels, 0.85% ± 0.24% (Fn) and 1.75% ± 0.52% (Fp) (p = 0.15). Whereas thymic corpuscles occupied an area of 0.68% ± 0.19% in negative animals (Fn) only. The connective tissue covered area varied between 12.05% ± 0.68% (Fn) and 10.34% ± 0.62% (Fp) (p = 0.009). Collagen type I (p = 0.30) and type III (p = 0.59) were present in, respectively, 1.73% ± 0.3% and 0.44% ± 0.09% in Fn, and 1.44% ± 0.36 and 0.44% ± 0.13% in Fp. The FeLV virus was not able to completely modify the thymus structure of infected animals, considering the areas occupied by thymocytes, adipose tissue, blood vessels and also type I and III collagens. However, the connective tissue underwent a certain degree of remodeling since less connective tissue area was observed in FeLV infected animals. The absence of thymic corpuscles in immunosuppressed animals suggests a possible connection to thymopoiesis.
